Data centres have huge energy-saving potential
Looking carefully at the energy consumption of data centres could enable businesses to reduce their entire energy consumption by as much as 25%. That was the message from Mike West, managing director of Keysource, to a seminar about the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme at the headquarters of Hammonds solicitors in the City of London.
He said, ‘Data centres can make up as much as half of a company’s energy use, but it’s not clear who even pays the bill. It’s certainly not the IT department or the CIO. There has to be a joined-up approach between facilities, IT and finance, along with buy-in from the board, to achieve the substantial environmental and financial savings that are available.’
His view is that data centres that use more energy on power and cooling than the actual technology housed are unacceptable and totally unnecessary. He said, ‘Such facilities ensure companies will be penalised under CRC, when substantial savings could be achieved without large-scale investment.
He highlighted a data centre developed for Petroleum Geo Services, which has increased efficiency by 45%, saving £650 000 in its first year and achieving 2900 t reduction in annual CO2 emissions. The facility is expected to pay for itself in two to three years and has reduced overall consumption by over 20%.
Elsewhere, Yorkshire Water reduced the energy usage of its data centre by 25% simply by undertaking an energy-efficiency assessment. This process identified quick wins and best practice to achieve savings with virtually no investment.
